[MD] Dawkins a Materialist (is watching?)

[David M]

Hi Arlo

I think that the point of Pirsig below
is that there are emergent capacities and
powers and that therefore cells, for example,
can only do what they do when organised
not just by other cells but by a wider context
of womb, family, society, environment too.


David M

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Arlo Bensinger" <ajb102 at psu.edu>
To: <moq_discuss at moqtalk.org>
Sent: Thursday, January 18, 2007 4:37 PM
Subject: Re: [MD] Dawkins a Materialist (is watching?)


> [Platt]
> After reading this I understood more than ever the argument from
> intelligent design. The "process" boggles the human mind. Thanks for 
> sharing.
>
> [Arlo]
> The "argument" for "intelligent design" goes something like this.
> "Phew, this is too complicated for me. I think I'll just say 'God did
> it', and that'll make me feel better."
>
> There is interesting statement, MOQ-wise, in the quote I've provided.
> "The key here is that life does not simply reduce down to
> transcribing static passages from our genetic scripture. Cells figure
> out which passages to pay attention to by observing signals from the
> cells around them." And, "The great beauty of embryo development, the
> bit that human beings find so hard to grasp, is that its a totally
> decentralized process. Since every cell in the body carries a
> complete copy of the genome, no cell need wait for instructions from
> authority; every cell can act on its own information and the signals
> it receives from its neighbors."
>
> We look top-down and want to see "intent", but there is none. Only
> individual patterns following Quality that generates collective
> activity, more complexity and the emergence of higher level
> individuals. As Pirsig writes, "But it's as foolish to think of a
> city or a society as created by human bodies as it is to think of
> human bodies as a creation of the cells, or to think of cells as
> created by protein and DNA molecules, or to think of DNA as created
> by carbon and other inorganic atoms. If you follow that fallacy long
> enough you come out with the conclusion that individual electrons
> contain the intelligence needed to build New York City all by
> themselves. Absurd."
>
> If you need a "God" to have "planned" you, that is your own issue.
>
>
>
>
>
>
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